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Hundreds attend Living with Loss support evening

More than two hundred people attended yesterday's 'Living with Loss' public information evening in Dublin. The IHF has been running this beneficial information evening for the past five years with numbers growing each year.
November is traditionally a month for remembrance and the event provides information about grief and the range of supports available to bereaved people.
The evening commenced with an opening from Bryan Nolan of the IHF and soon followed a showing of the Have Your Say campaign video. IHF representatives Orla Keegan and Breffni McGuinness also spoke about understanding and living with loss; and a Feilecean candle was lit with a moment of thought for all present.
Guest speaker John McAreavey (Michaela Foundation) addressed the room:

"There are a lot of people here that have been bereaved for a variety of reasons through different means of loss but we are all united in how that makes us feel. I think it’s a very worthwhile thing that we can come together here and think about the ways we can get through this positively. There is a lot of hope in it.

I learned that feelings and not circumstances is what I want to share with other people in grief. It was actually quite comforting to learn that. That is the real motivation in me sharing my journey and my experiences with you this evening. I really do believe that, regardless of the circumstances of the bereavement, the feelings of loss are very much shared. It’s always worthwhile then to hear other people talk about how they dealt with loss and know there is actually was someone else, not in your shoes, but in shoes just like yours before.

You will realise that, as sure as night follows day, light will follow darkness and that hope isn’t just a virtue, it’s the very torch that glows along with us on our journey," concluded John.

There was also an opportunity for people to chat with voluntary bereavement services who kindly attended the event. Thanks to everyone who partook and gave their time to talk and support those who are bereaved. The evening closed with attendees receiving a candle and a moment of short reflection.
Thanks to Fanagans Funeral Directors & Undertakers who kindly sponsored the event.